Bourbon and Cointreau...

Just playing around tonight. I poured a shot of AAA 10yo over an ice cube and added a splash of Cointreau. At first I wasn't convinced, but as the ice has melted slightly it has become a rather refreshing drink. Are there any popular bourbon drinks that incorporate cointreau? The "bourborita" comes to mind. Any others? Anyone ever tried this?

Re: Bourbon and Cointreau...

Cointreau is a proprietary form of curacao. Triple sec is another term for a fine curacao, and despite the name is slightly sweet. So all these are essentially the same thing, except triple sec is always white in color (some curacaos are blue, green, or brown, but always orange-tasting), somewhat stronger than curacao proper, and uses sweet and bitter oranges (curacao uses only the bitter orange); for practical purposes these are of a piece.

Bourbon and orange have a definite affinity. The slice of orange in an Old-Fashioned is an example - so is Southern Comfort, which has an orange inclination, to my taste.

Re: Bourbon and Cointreau...

Okay, Jeff. I took your advice and added a half teaspoon of Grand Marnier to my Manhattan tonight and couldn't have been more pleased with the result. Melded perfectly with the Noilly Prat, ER 101, and Regan's Orange Bitters. Thanks for the tip. I'll be doing this again.

-Mike

"This is the real article. It is double-rectified busthead from Madison County, aged in the keg. A little spoonful would do you a power of good."

Re: Bourbon and Cointreau...

Cointreau (or the other top-shelf triple sec, Luxardo Triplum) also works well in place of maraschino in the Red Hook - or in (gin-based) martinis.

There is a difference between Triplum and Cointreau - Triplum has Sicilian as well as West Indian oranges in its distillate. Cointreau seems more bittersweet, while Triplum seems a bit more floral in character. Both are good additions to your liquor cabinet...